H.—6

3

F bruary 11: Approving of plans of harbour works at Otago Heads. February 19 : Approving of plans of coal hopper, Port Waikato. February 19: Approving of plans of booms across Kaiarara, Kiwiriki, and "Wairahi Creeks, Port Fitzroy, Great Barrier Island. When licenses are issued authorizing private persons or companies to occupy the foreshore, a charge is made for issuing the order, and an annual rental collected. Nciices to Mariners. —Fifty-eight Notices to Mariners were issued during the past year: of these, twenty-six related to matters within New Zealand. Copies of these were as usual circulated to harbour authorities, &c. They related to the following subjects : — Sunken rock on which s.s. " Tarawera " struck, Smith's Sound, Doubtful Inlet. Gas-light at end of Invercargill Jetty, New Eiver. Report survey of rock off Tiri Tiri, Whangaparaoa Passage. Position of Whale-rock Buoy, Bay of Islands. Date of exhibition of Moko Hinou light, and alteration of Tiri Tiri light. Colour of light on Curtis's Wharf, Thames, changed to white; and sailing directions for Thames Eiver. Second anchor laid to fairway buoy, Kaikoura. Sailing directions for entering New Eiver Harbour. Rocky patch at Poverty Bay. Establishment of Port of Hokitika. Remarks on Auckland Islands. Beacons erected at Raglan. Depth of water on Hokianga bar. Sailing directions for entering Buller Eiver, consequent on removal of flagstaff to South Spit. Eed light on wool jetty, Wellington. Beacons erected at Kawhia. Preliminary notice, Waipapapa Point light. Waitara Harbour light and night signals. Dredging operations outside Lyttelton Breakwater. Exhibition of light at Waipapapa Point. Description of Waterfall Inlet, with its anchorage, Auckland Islands. Passage through French Pass not safe to be taken by any vessel against the tide. Buoy to mark rocky patch near Poverty Bay. Beacon, north shore of Jacob's Eiver, Port of Eivertoja. White light at end of rubble training, breakwater, Wanganui Eiver. Lights on mole breakwater, Oamaru Harbour. Port Chalmers Graving-Dock. —This dock has been, in accordance with the provisions of the Otago Dock Trust Act of last session, handed over to the Otago Harbour Board. Light Dues. —During the past year the sum of £8,194 was collected as light dues on foreign and intercolonial trading vessels, being £9 ss. lOd. less than was collected the previous financial year. A further sum of £1,205 was paid to the credit of light dues, being the amount payable by the San Francisco mail steamers. Government Vessels. —The "Hinemoa" has as usual been employed almost entirely on special service when not laid up. The " Stella" being away when the Jackson's Head beacon was ready to be sent away, the " Hinemoa " made a special trip with this, going on to French Pass with cargo for the lighthouse in-course of erection there. The " Stella " has been continuously employed in work connected with this department, besides which her services have as far as possible been made available for other departments of the Government service. She laid cables to Tiri Tiri and Somes Island for the Telegraph Department, and made a special trip to the Campbell and Auckland Islands in connection with the loss of the boat's crew from the " Sarah W. Hunt." Last ■winter some repairs were made to the boiler, &c, and she is now in good order, with the exception of her funnel, which requires renewing; it is proposed to _do this and make some small improvements during the present winter. During the past year she has steamed 16,405 miles, been 2,310 hours under steam, burnt 818 tons of coal, taken on board and landed 999 tons of cargo, and has carried 352 passengers. The schooner " Kekeno " has been employed in making visits to the Auckland and Campbell Islands and West Coast sounds in connection with the protection of the seal fisheries. A boat's crew belonging to the American sealing schooner " Sarah W. Hunt," having been driven off Campbell Island, got back to Perseverance Harbour after their vessel had left that place for Lyttelton; and, the " Kekeno " having fortunately arrived there soon afterwards, she was enabled to afford assistance to the men, who had suffered considerably from exposure to the weather in an open b0,.:. A full supply of provisions and clothing has been sent to replenish the depots at the Auck■iftßu and Campbell Islands, and it is hoped that common humanity will prevent these depots from being plundered again. Timber Floatage. —Numerous applications having been received from persons residing in the Auckland District for licenses under "The Timber Floatage Act, 1873," powers to deal with the various applications have been delegated to the Commissioner of Crown Lands, Auckland. Examination of Masters, Mates, and Engineers. —Certificates of competency have been issued to 119 candidates, 70 being for masters, mates, and engineers of sea-going vessels, and 49 for masters and engineers of river steamers. Survey of Steamers.— Certificates of survey under "The Shipping and Seamen's Act, 1877," have been issued to 174 steamers, of 22,757 aggregate tonnage and 8,087-horse power, being 12 more steamers than were surveyed last year. Wrecks and Casualties. —The following table is an analysis of the casualties that have been reported to this department:—